Mazul Primus-Guard
Considered the Elite of the Hive World Mazul's Imperial Guard regiments the 51st Mazul Mechanized has fought among the stars for close to two thousand years, against many foes, from the foul Amphra to the undying legions of the Necron Indrakht Dynasty History Cancridrae Xenocide/aftermath While the Reclamation Crusade ended nearly a Millenium ago, the effects are still felt and battles still rage on from time to time, with Primus Guard is at the forefront of these constant skirmishes. Gwynn The Agri-world came under attack by the Amphra, a threat the overwhelmed PDF troopers could not repel on their own and so they were sent to their aid. The invasion was little more than a small raid and the Primus-Guard was almost disappointed to find a relatively small number of Barnica and their Amphra commanders. The battle was brief, lasting for only three hours and rather than retreat or surrender the invaders fought to the last. The Amphra were left where they fell for days before enterprising farmers buried the bodies in their fields, using them to fertilize their crops and feed their Grox. The Blue Veil The Regiment was sent to Vahiri as a response to an ongoing rebellion. The Blue Veil, the only surviving relic of a locally venerated saint, was stolen by rebels in a desperate attempt to gain legitimacy and claim her blessings upon their insurrection. The veil became the symbol of the rebel army, drawing in many with false promises of her favor and Vahiri's Governor quickly realized that it had to be recovered in order to end the rebellion. The Regiment was tasked with doing so- while they and PDF units laid siege to their stronghold several platoons infiltrated the tunnel network beneath it, clearing the rooms one at a time and recovered the chest containing the blue veil nine hours into a running firefight. Despite nearly overwhelming odds they returned the relic to the Ecclesiarchy and the rebellion collapsed without further resistance only a few weeks later. Suliva 16 One of sixteen moons surrounding the Gas Giant Suliva, they were sent to evacuate loyalist citizens from an encroaching Warp Storm but they were too late and The Cultists secretly in control of the moon's government delayed the effort long enough that they were unable to escape. The Primus-Guard spent the next decade assisting the loyalists in rebelling against their corrupt leaders and establishing a new government. But the Storm eventually faded, allowing them to return to their homeworld. Circos The ten year civil war centered around Suliva 16's capital city of Circos, built atop the moon's highest mountain peak in emulation of the Imperial Palace on Holy Terra. While Imperial forces were unable to capture the city, the smaller cities surrounding it frequently traded hands, ultimately leaving them in ruins. As neither side was able to bring reinforcements the fighting grew more and more desperate. The rebel government's efforts to enforce loyalty, offering those convicted of treason to the Dark Gods as sacrifices, had the opposite effect. The rebels grew more and more desperate as the Primus-Guard and Imperial loyalists marched into Circos but rather than die in ritual self sacrifice they chose to fight, forcing months of intense fighting before the rebel government finally collapsed. Eria Campaigns They returned home to replenish their depleted unit and were sent into battle on Eria not long after their return from Suliva Every man in the 51st Mazul knew the campaign was a suicide mission but they accepted the challenge, knowing it was their only opportunity to prove their continued loyalty to their homeworld and the Imperium. Eria saw them match wits with Warboss Gaktugg, beginning a century long rivalry that spanned the six planets of the Eria system.The period was marked by periods of intense fighting between several Imperial Guard regiments and Ork warbands but also internal conflict as other Orks challenged Gaktugg for control. A Warboss Rises Gaktugg, a Nob from the Goff Klan, saw an opportunity and overthrew Warboss Galgrax before cementing his power among the other Ork warbands of Eria VI. With that done he gathered a WAAAGH and led them against the only remaining challenge to his rule, The scattered city-states of Eria VI's plains. They quickly called for help, and the Primus-Guard was quick to answer- the spearhead of a multiple regiment counterattack that drove the Orks back into the mountains and swamps, where they spent the next several years hunting Gaktugg's Nobs. Gaktugg himself would evade them many times- going so far as to flee to Eria V and continue the cycle for the next several decades. The Crag King The Ork invasion of Eria V threw the entire world into chaos and for the first time in the long history The Primus-Guard found itself fighting fellow humans. Village Elder Maximian Brand lead a convoy of refugees from the fallen provinces, reclaimed a long abandoned mountain fortress, declared himself the "Crag King" and began striking against the Orks and The Imperium alike. Eria V's Governor could not let this stand and so he called on the Primus-Guard for help. They were quick to answer and landed in Eria V's capital city, spending several days at celebrations in their honor before heading out into the wilds and months of hard fighting They reached the Wulfrym Mountains after nearly six weeks of campaigning, fending off constant rebel and Ork attacks along the way. The Regiment's armor easily punched through the rebel lines and advanced into the Pakyr Valley where professional soldiers faced off against, and easily defeated, desperate men and women with crude stubbers and stolen lasguns. The Crag King fell in the next battle and his army surrendered, removing one threat to Eria V but the Orks remained. The battle attracted a horde of them looking for another fight and loot and so the Primus-Guard was forced to abandon the fortress and fall back. But before they did they denied it to the Orks with explosives placed to level it and destroy any greenskins inside. Eria IV The Red Desert The Red Desert of Eria IV was once home to Feral Orks, the only creatures hardy enough to build a society in the wastes known as "The Red Desert". They had little interest in joining Gaktugg's great battles against The Imperium but contented themselves with attacking the mining settlements and ore refineries in the surrounding mountains but The Primus-Guard and several other Mazul Regiments were sent to protect them as their labor was invaluable to the continuing campaigns. The Feral Orks, using Boars and native arachnids rivaling a Leman Russ tank in size, were able to capture several mining vehicles, convert them into crude war machines and force the other Orks on the planet to follow them into battle. Nearly sixteen years of constant campaigning followed as Warband after Warband threw itself at the Imperial settlements, occasionally reinforced by Orks from Gaktugg's WAAAGH and lesser warbosses eager to test themselves. The fighting took its toll on the Mazul, depleted regiments were absorbed into the 51st as regiments bearing their names and numbers were raised back on Mazul to replace them. The beginning of the sixteenth year saw a once in a millenium sandstorm sweep across the desert, destroying many of the Ork Warbands but this was not the end of the Eria campaign. Gaktugg arrived, absorbed many of the survivors into his own forces and began another campaign- but the exhausted regiment was rotated out to replace its losses and teach the next generation of soldiers leaving Mazul. Their rest lasted only a few years before they were sent back to Eria to finish the battle they had started decades earlier. Eria III Gaktugg's efforts were slowed by a series of internal conflicts within his WAAAGH, and the Imperial Guard was quick to exploit their newfound advantage. The Primus-Guard, by this point composed of veteran soldiers and new recruits who had never seen battle returned to Eria III and began a new campaign against Warboss Gaktugg's rivals, hoping to further fragment their armies. Uhrblug, a Nob and self declared Warboss proved to be their most difficult challenge. While crude, his war machines proved to be more than a match for Leman Russ and Chimeras and their own anti-armor weapons could do little against his Squiggoths and Bomb Squigs. Desperation proved to be their salvation, they deliberately left a crate of damaged lasguns behind in a retreat, leaving phospex charges in its false bottom and carefully covering them with herbicides and anti-fungal chemicals requisitioned from local farmers. The bomb detonated in the midst of the Ork camp, setting off several dozen charge packs and spreading a chemical cloud. The gambit was successful, killing hundreds of Orks outright and sickening hundreds more over the next few days. The Primus-Guard chose that moment to strike back, conscripting the farmers and depleting almost their entire supply of weed killers and poisons. Uhrblug lost an eye and one of his arms in the battle and was unable to fend off Gaktugg's next attack. Gaktugg defeated his rival and absorbed the weakened WAAAGH into his own, but the lingering effects of the makeshift explosives continued to kill orks for months afterward forcing Gaktugg to retreat and wait until his forces were strong enough to launch another campaign. The citizens of Eria III used the time to fortify their homes and turn their land into deathtraps. The Ork attack could not have come at a better time, arriving just as the farming communities began their yearly "Renewal Festival" culminating in a controlled burn of their fields. A flare shot into the chaff revealed a force of Kommandos and signaled the regiment, who was participating in the event to open fire. A Warboss Falls The final battle of the Eria Campaigns was also the greatest battle the Primus-Guard has ever fought. Gaktugg, having reasserted his dominance over the Orks of the Eria system once again threw them into battle- fielding everything from spear wielding Snakebites to Killa Kans and Squiggoths overseeing his forces from the back of a Gargant. While Imperial Guard and PDF fought on the planet's surface Battlefleet Medici's fighters and aircraft duelled with Ork Fighta/Bombas in the skies above the battlefield. Imperial Commanders soon realized that without Gaktugg elements of the Ork forces could be divided and dealt with one at a time. A full platoon, later to be named the "Rose Platoon" was dropped behind Ork lines and fought their way through, scaled the Gargant and killed the Warboss with a barrage from borrowed plasma guns and the Horde collapsed into disarray only hours later. While successful the effort came at a high price- only twelve of the fifty men survived to see the Ork Horde tear itself apart and no Ork has been strong enough to reunite them in the centuries since. These twelve men received Mazul's highest honors and returned home as heroes, allowing them to retire and take up new lives. Present Day At present the regiment is stationed on the barren world of Akhmathis, the homeworld of the newly awakened Indrakht Dynasty under the rule of Necron Overlord Intemhat. Though their foes are closer to the undead of various mythologies, they have dubbed them "Walking Ghosts" Regimental Structure/Wargear Each of the four companies contains 556 men further divided into *a ten man Command Squad with two "Advisors" attached as required *An Armored Platoon of 10 Leman Russ tanks and 6 Chimeras *9 Platoons of 50 men, The First Platoon receives additional training as Drop Troopers *one "Transport Platoon" of 12 Chimeras. While the bulk of the unit is issued with the standard M36 Kantrael Pattern lasgun, those with specialized training such as vehicle crewmen and the first platoon of each company receive Mk 4 lascarbines, and Grav Chutes when their missions require them. All soldiers regardless of specialty are also issued three additional charge packs and a spike knuckled fighting knife that doubles as a bayonet. These are carried in tactical webbing worn over the armor, which also holds a laspistol and several extra charge packs. As the Primus- Guard's reputation speaks for itself, its officer corps feels no need for finery and so they dress much like the men they command, in camouflage uniforms with varying colors and patterns depending on their environment. While officers are not required to carry their standard lasguns or lascarbines, most still do, proud of having risen from the ranks, and partly to hide their own standing, making themselves less obvious targets. Their recent battles have led them to adopt heavy weapons such as lascannons and plasma guns whenever possible- and they have already replaced four of their Leman Russ Battle Tanks with the Executioner variant, with more on the way. Famous Members * Alixander Van Hennan A mere private when the campaign on Eria IV began he rose to the rank of Captain over the course of the conflict, leading the Second Company to victory against difficult odds time and again. While cold and ruthless in battle he was also known to be kind and caring to his men and the civilians around him- going so far as to marry a local woman and sire several children. His sons would follow in his footsteps and fight their own battles against Gaktugg. *Tamos Gayle The product of an illicit affair between a young priest and an Exotic Entertainer he had a troubled childhood. His mother's employment was terminated when her indiscretion became obvious, forcing her and her young son into poverty. He fell in with bad company after her death, becoming a soldier and smuggler for the Ruby Banner Brotherhood in his teenage years. Wounded in a battle with Arbites he joined the Imperial Guard to escape prison time and earned command of the second company's "Transport Platoon." inventing new and innovative tactics in the process. Present Day *Colonel Tallis Dobesh Born in the city of Deni in 954.M41 he joined the regiment to escape poverty like many of the soldiers he would one day command. When he enlisted in 970, his superior officers noted his natural gift for leadership and within three years he was promoted to sergeant, the first stepping stone in a long and illustrious career spanning almost three decades. He has also overcome his background, he is known to be a scholar and patron of The Arts as well as a soldier. As befits his status he is rarely seen in public without female company- two women who are members of Mazul's esteemed Guild of Companions, Escorts and Exotic Entertainers. * Elias "Ghost Blood" Isenias The son of a System Defense officer, he took a different path and joined the Imperial Guard rather than serve aboard a ship. The commander of one of the new Executioners he earned his nickname in battle with their current enemies, destroying one of their vehicles with a single lucky shot and then cutting down its crew with a series of rapid attacks. Though new to the unit and new to warfare in general, the twenty one year old soldier and tank commander has already proven himself as one of the regiment's most promising officers. *Ram Company The First Company wears a version of the Van Dragen family crest to honor their former commander and the time The Regiment spent under his command during the Cancridrae Xenocide. Typically painted on a Guardsman's helmet- those who acquit themselves well are permitted to sew a patch bearing the symbol onto their right sleeve. The process for vehicles is similar- the crest is painted onto a vehicle hull, but once its crew prove themselves, a metal plate with an engraved version of Van Dragen crest is bolted into place on the turret. *Rose Platoon First Company first platoon- better known as the "Rose Platoon" are seen as the finest Drop Troopers within the unit- ever since Gaktug died at their hands. Despite their proven combat record these fifty men are driven to maintain it and claim further glory. There is a price for this, Rose Platoon tends to suffer a disproportionate number of casualties. Category:The Periphery